SINGAPORE - A little blue card, with his name and a few numbers that say who he is and where he lives.
To Ricqo Rafiezuwan, a 25-year-old whom The Straits Times featured in September in an article about stateless individuals and the challenges they face, the blue identity card he now guards jealously is more than just a document.
He said it confirms he is no longer someone without an identity.
As he spoke to ST on Dec 18, Rafiezuwan proudly held up his blue identity card. There it was - his name in big, bold letters.
"I cannot believe that I am holding this. I look at it and think, wow, is this real?
"Because this is what I have wanted for a very long time, for 25 years," said Rafiezuwan, fighting to hold back his tears.
After the photographer was done taking pictures of him holding up the card, Rafiezuwan wiped it with his hands and returned it to his wallet.
He slid the wallet into his back pocket, and gave that a gentle pat.
His card was safe.
Rafiezuwan said he will not forget the day he received the news that he had been granted permanent residency status.
His mother called him, sobbing, on Nov 4 while he was at work. It was his first day at his first real job, an operation executive role he landed after his employer read about his story in ST.
"I thought something happened at home. I kept asking her what's wrong," he said. It turned out she was emotional over a letter from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
It said her son's application to become a permanent resident (PR) of Singapore had been approved in principle. He had to undergo medical checks and fulfil other formalities first.
On Nov 25, he collected his identity card.
Two other stateless individuals were featured in the article in September. One of them was already a PR.
The other person, who wanted to be known only as Phua, had put in his PR application some time back.
In November, he received a letter from ICA saying it was "receiving attention".
One of the first things Rafiezuwan did after receiving his IC was to open a bank account.
He could not do so earlier as some banks require non-Singaporeans to produce their passport and proof of tax residency, among other things, to open an account.
"I asked a friend for help to apply for a bank account online, because I wasn't sure how to do it. This means my salary can now be deposited there.
"I also hope to get a driver's licence one day," he said.
Before he received PR status, his salary was deposited into a family friend's bank account. Rafiezuwan was also issued a Certificate of Identity, in lieu of a national passport, on Nov 15.
Holders of the certificate must obtain visas for the countries they wish to visit, and a re-entry permit from ICA to be allowed to return to Singapore after a visit abroad.
Rafiezuwan, who has never left Singapore, dreams of visiting Malaysia and Bali.
"I hope I can go to Genting Highlands because I know there is an amusement park there. I want to go on the rides.
"I want to experience that one day," said Rafiezuwan, who added that he wants to work and save up money first.
"I have many plans and so many things going on in my head, but now I just want to focus on one thing - my job. I want to adapt to working life, and then maybe I can start taking English classes," said the young man.
Rafiezuwan, who was among 853 stateless individuals living here as at Dec 31, 2023, never received a formal education.
His parents did not have documents, like his birth certificate, that they could use to register him in a school.
Stateless adults in Singapore who are not PRs are not entitled to subsidised education, healthcare and housing.
There are only a few stateless children in Singapore.
There were seven under the age of 12 in Singapore and another 13 between the ages of 12 and 18 as at Dec 31, 2023, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam said in a written parliamentary reply on Oct 15.
Shanmugam said that while their circumstances vary, one reason for their statelessness is that they were born in Singapore to foreign parents who did not obtain the citizenship of their country for their children.
That was the case for Rafiezuwan, whose biological mother was stateless herself. She left him in the care of a childless Singaporean couple whom she was friends with.
The couple, who are in their 50s and whom he regards as his parents, looked after him from when he was a baby.
He grew up not being able to read and write. As a result, he did not have the confidence to travel beyond Clementi, where he lived until recently.
He now travels five days a week from his one-room rental flat in Bukit Merah to two locations - Middle Road in the Rochor district, and Geylang - where he performs housekeeping duties for co-living operator The Assembly Place.
The company he works for rents out accommodation with communal facilities.
Rafiezuwan, who moved with his parents to Bukit Merah in October, said: "Since I am already working, I no longer need to depend on my friends to travel around. I have learnt to use Google Maps, and take the bus and train myself.
"I have always depended on my family and friends, so it is now time for me to learn to be independent."
But he does not forget those who helped him. When he received his first salary, he bought himself spectacles that he needed.
"I also gave money to my parents, because that is my responsibility," he added.
Although nervous, Rafiezuwan, whose status is now stateless with permanent residency, said he is also ready to take on more responsibilities.
"Now that I have received my permanent residency, if I need to do national service, I will do it.
"But I am scared because I have zero knowledge about it, I don't know anything," he said.
Social worker Muhammad Khalifah Nazir Mohd Ali, from the Foundation of Rotary Clubs Singapore Family Service Centre (FSC), has been with him for much of his journey.
He helped Rafiezuwan understand how to apply for PR status and figure out how to get to work and home.
Although Rafiezuwan has moved out of Clementi, Khalifah hopes he can continue to support him.
"I have been with him from the very start, when he was very down, when he was feeling a sense of hopelessness. So, it was very moving to see everything come to fruition.
"I also teared up when he called me crying and told me that he got his permanent residency," said Khalifah.
With his PR status, Rafiezuwan can apply for some subsidies, such as in healthcare. Khalifah said he will guide the young man on how to receive support.
Rafiezuwan said he appreciates that the FSC never gave up on him.
"I really love them and I cherish everything they have done for me.
"If not for my social worker and everyone who helped me, I don't think I would have ever received my permanent residency," he said.
Following ST's report in September, more than 80 people contacted ST and the FSC to offer help.
The young man said he was grateful to those who reached out, saying: "At first I thought everyone would judge me. But when my story was published, I realised people were not judging me.
"They just wanted to help me.
"Some offered financial aid and others asked if I needed English lessons. I really want to thank these people. I really appreciate each one of them."
Rafiezuwan had struggled to land a job because of his stateless status.
But this changed when the founder and chief executive of The Assembly Place, Eugene Lim, saw ST's report. He gave Rafiezuwan the job he now has after an interview.
Lim told ST that Rafiezuwan is doing well, adding that he is eager and willing to learn.
"Ricqo has a very good attitude, and we can see him gaining confidence in himself. I am very happy for him that he is now a PR," said Lim.
With his PR status, Rafiezuwan said he feels a sense of belonging.
He told his biological mother about it. She had received permanent residency some time earlier but never applied for it for him.
"At first, when I was stateless with no permanent residency, I felt people looked down on me. But now, I feel like I'm finally a normal person, like I am something.
"I am not an alien any longer."
That little blue card, he said, has given him an identity.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
